Ice flake making machine



Nov. 16, 1965 o. J. SCHWERTFEGER ETAL 3,

ICE FLAKE MAKING MACHINE Filed Nov. 25, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet l f grl.

IN V EN TORS OWEN J'- SCHWERTFEGER MAHLON W. KE

BYAMMFZZVJ Eiiq- No 1955 o. J. SCHWERTFEGER ETAL ICE FLAKE MAKING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 25, 1960 INVENTORS. OWEN J'- SCHWERTFEGER MAHkON W. KENNEY dawwxz i FL-H United States Patent 3,217,512 ICE FLAKE MAKING MACHlNE Owen J. Schwertfeger, Chicago, and Mahlon W. Kenney, Oak Park, Ill., assignors, by mesne assignments, to The Seeburg Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 25, 1960, Ser. No. 71,771 16 Claims. (Cl. 62354) This invention relates to a device for making crushed ice of a type which, while usable for various cooling or refrigerating purposes, is particularly well suited for use in cold drinks such as those dispensed from coin-operated vending machines.

The device may advantageously be used in conjunction with an ice storage and dispensing device from which measured quantities of such ice may be delivered into individual cups with drinks from vending machinesalthough of course the device may be used independently and wherever there may be a need for ice of the type which it is adapted to produce.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an ice maker by which ice in the form of small, hard flakes or chips, as distinguished from slush or snow ice, may be rapidly and efliciently produced and effectively discharged from the device into a dispenser or other receptacle.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be evident from the following description, when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the device of our invention, showing some of the elements only diagrammatically and/ or fragmentarily, and with an ice dispenser shown in phantom in position to receive ice from the outlet opening of the ice maker;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2 in FIG. 1 through the cylindrical evaporator casing and parts of the device contained therein;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of said casing and contained parts, taken substantially along the irregular line 33 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken at substantially a right angle to the view of FIG. 3 and along the line 4-4 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary detail view on a still further enlarged scale of certain parts of the device (located by the broken-line circle in FIG. 2) to illustrate more clearly the relationship of the ice crushing members to the cylindrical wall of the evaporator; and

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 2, showing ice crushing members of a modified form.

In the embodiment of the invention thus illustrated we have shown a cylindrical metal shell or casing 11 depending from a gear box 12 containing reducing gearing (not shown) arranged to be driven by a motor 13.

A cylindrical evaporator 14 is fixedly mounted within the casing 11, with the vertical wall thereof spaced at considerable distance from the inner surface of the casing. The evaporator is in the form of a hollow tube, made of aluminum (with a hard coating surface) or other heatconductive material such as brass or stainless steel and is permanently closed at its top by an integral end wall 15. The tube is formed with an open lower end and has a thickened base or flange portion 16 to which a metal plate 17 is firmly attached, as by screws, one of which is shown at 18. A sealing ring 19 of rubber or other suitable material is provided between the inner lower edge of the part 16 of the evaporator tube and the plate 17.

The lower end of the shell or casing fits tightly over said lower thickened part 16 of the evaporator tube and 3,217,512 Patented Nov. 16, 1965 the evaporator and shell assembly is secured to a base or mounting plate 21 by fastening means which, as shown, are in the form of screws 22 extending up through the plates 21 and 17 and into the flange 16 of the evaporator tube. A layer of insulation 23 is interposed between the plates 17 and 21, holes 24 being provided in this insulation to receive the heads of the screws 18.

A locator pin 25 which is carried by the evaporator base 16 fits into a slot in the lower end of the casing 11 when the latter is brought into proper circumferential relationship to the evaporator and holds it in such relationship.

A refrigerant inlet conduit 26 leads to the evaporator from the condenser of a refrigeration system (not shown) and a return conduit 27 leads from the evaporator to the compressor of the system, thus connecting the evaporator into a conventional refrigeration apparatus which functions in the usual cycle.

The plates 21 and 17 are apertured to permit these conduits to extend therethrough and a seal is provided between said conduits and the plate 17, as by brazing at the point 20, to prevent leakage at the point of entry of such conduits.

The inlet conduit 26 extends only a relatively short distance up into the interior of the evaporator but the outlet conduit 27 extends up to a point near the top of the evaporator chamber. This relationship of the inner ends of the respective conduits results in thorough expansion of the refrigerant in the evaporator to provide a uniform freezing surface on the exterior thereof throughout the greater part of its length.

Insulation 28 is provided in the lower part of the evaporator chamber and a layer of insulation 29 is placed in the upper part thereof for a purpose which will presently appear.

The relative diameters of the evaporator tube 14 and the outer casing 11 are such as to provide a chamber 31 of quite substantial size between these parts and water is admitted to this chamber through a pipe 32 from a suitable source and under proper control so as to keep said chamber filled with water to a desired level. With the annular surface of the evaporator tube maintained at freezing temperature ice will be constantly formed on such surface.

We provide in the chamber 31 an ice crushing and removing mechanism which will now be described.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1-5, two ice crushing compressor members 33 and 34 are rigidly secured, as by welding indicated at 35, to a head 36 in the form of an inverted truncated cone. The lower part of said head 36 is recessed to receive a bearing member 37 which fits rotatably over a boss 38 on the top wall 15 of the evaporator tube. The lower ends of the members 33 and 34 are rigidly attached, as by welding indicated at 39, to a ring 41 which is interiorly recessed to receive a bearing 42 fitting rota'tably over the evaporator tube 14. The insulation 28 and 29 serves to provide a uniform non-freezing temperature in the area of said bearings 42 and 37.

The ice crushing assembly just described may be slid in from the top over the evaporator tube 14 and is adapted to be rotated by a shaft 43, 44 extending downwardly from the gear box 12, such shaft being driven by the motor 13 through the reducing gearing contained in said box 12. The shaft portion 44 is keyed to the head 36 by protruding pins or studs 45 adapted to engage in narrow lateral slots 46 in the head 36 which has a circular recess into which the shaft portion 44 is received. This structure provides a driving connection between the shaft 43, 44 and said head 36, which, as above noted, carriers the compressor members 33 and 34.

The upper end of the casing fits tightly over a channel member 47 having a flange 48 thereon which abuts tightly against and is secured by bolts 50 or in other suitable manner to the gear box and a slinger washer 51 a'ifixed to the shaft 43, 44 has a downturned edge portion 52 thereon which enters to channel in the member 47 to provide an oil seal to prevent oil from the driving mechanism entering the ice forming and transporting mechanism above described. An outlet (not shown) serves to prevent overflow of the oil from said seal.

The casing 11 is formed to provide inwardly extending spiral ribs 53 on the inner surface thereof, the configuration being such as to constitute a stationary helix which cooperates with the rotating compressor members 33 and 34 to move the ice flakes or chips upwardly in the chamber 31, as will later more fully appear. An ice discharge opening 54 is provided in the upper part of the casing 11, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4. While, as above pointed out, the ice may be discharged into any suitable receptacle and used for any purpose for which ice in the form produced by the device may be suited, our device is specifically designed for vending machine service and may be advantageously used in conjunction with an ice dispenser by which measured quantities of the ice may be fed into individual cups with drinks from a vending machine. Such a dispenser, which is identified by the reference numeral 55, is shown in phantom in FIGURE 1 in position to receive the ice as it is discharged from our ice maker through the opening 54.

Referring now particularly to FIGS. 2 and 5, the form and functioning of the ice-crushing members 33 and 34 of the preferred embodiment of our invention will be described.

These members, which rotate in the direction indicated by the arrows in these views, have a widened forward portion 56, the inner surface 57 of which is disposed relatively close to the evaporator tube 14, and a rear portion 58, the inner surface 59 of which is disposed further away from the tube. The surface 57 is, or may be, substantially flat and thus on substantially a straight line, although some convex curvature could be given to this surface if desired. Since said surface 57 is substantially tangent to the cylindrical evaporator tube there must be one point, which is indicated by the numeral 61, which is closer than any other point on the surface to the cylindrical surface of the tube. A plane passing through the axis of the evaporator perpendicular to the surface 57 on the compressor members is represented by the line 62 so as to emphasize the fact that the point 61 on the compression surface is the point which is nearest to the evaporator. It will be noted that the leading edge, which is indicated by the numeral 63, of the compressor members is forward of the line 62 and thus farther away from the evaporator than is the point 61 so that such leading edge 63 will not effect any substantial scraping.

This is an important characteristic of our invention since if the members 33 and 34 functioned substantially as scrapers the ice would be scraped off in the form of slush or snow ice. In our device, on the contrary, the ice builds up on the evaporator surface, without being scraped off, until the compression between the evaporator and the compressor members along the line thereon which is in closest proximity to the evaporator becomes sufficient to cause the ice to break away from the evaporator in the form of hard flakes or chips. Since the compressor members extend vertically throughout the entire length of the evaporator where freezing occurs the ice is thus thoroughly dislodged from the evaporator surface as the compressor members rotate about such surface.

In the case of a flat compression surface on the compressor members, the minimum amount by which the leading edge must be forward of the line of tangency in order to prevent scraping and to cause the formation and breaking away of hard ice as above described depends of course upon the size of the evaporator. In the case of an evaporator having an outside diameter of 1.5 inches, compressor members of the type shown in FIGS. 2 and 5 have been found to operate satisfactorily without any appreciable scraping with the edge 63 only 0.0625 inch forward of the point 61. Of course the critical nature of the design can be avoided by extending the fiat compression surface a substantial distance forwardly of the line of tangency but a shorter extension may be desired in order to facilitate the directing of the loose ice chips outwardly toward the outer casing, as will be explained more fully hereinafter.

In FIG. 6 of the drawings we have shown a modified form of the crushing or compressor members, which in this view are identified by the numerals 64- and 65. They are rectangular (preferably oblong) in form and each has an extended flat surface 66 disposed substantially tangentially with respect to the evaporator cylinder. The point 61 and line 62 have been shown the same as in FIGS. 2 and 5 and the leading edge, indicated at 67 in this view, is here disposed quite far from the cylindrical surface of the evaporator so it is obvious that there could be no scraping action. In the other embodiment the leading edge 63 on the compressor members is also at a sufficiently greater distance from the evaporator cylinder than is the part of the surface of said members which is nearest the point of tangency 61 to effectively cause a compressing instead of a scraping action, but the difference in spacing is not so perceptible to the eye as in the form of device shown in FIG. 6. Therefore the latter may be regarded as clearly illustrating and accentuating the principle involved, and also as showing a form which, in some cases, it may be desired to use commercially, although, as above indicated, we regard the embodiment of the other figures as preferable for most commercial adaptations.

As the ice is formed and broken away from the evapora tor by compression of the rotatable members 33 and 34 (64 and 65 in FIG. 6) on the thickening coating of ice on the exterior of the evaporator tube, the freed ice is moved upwardly in the casing 11 by cooperation of said rotating members with the helix 53. It will be noted, particularly from FIG. 3, that the outer surface of the rotating members is quite close to the inner surface of the helix and that rotation of said members will cause the ice flakes or chips to move upwardly on the upwardly spiraled convolutions of the helix. The upper convolution of the helix is preferably flattened out to substantially a horizontal plane just below the discharge opening 54, as shown at 68 in FIG. 1. As the ice is forced upwardly by the helix and the rotating members it impinges against the upwardly and outwardly flared surface of the head 36 which materially assists in forcing it out through said discharge opening 54 and into the ice dispenser 55 or other receptacle positioned to receive it.

In the form of the compressor members shown in FIGS. 15, the forward faces indicated at 69 of the members 33 and 34 serve as cams to assist in forcing the ice outwardly into contact with the helix 53, since said faces are disposed at an angle to perpendicular line 62 through the points 61, the angle as shown being on the order of 25 degrees.

This invention can of course be embodied in different specific forms and the present description and illustration thereof should, therefore, be regarded as disclosing only an illustrative embodiment of the invention, from which no unnecessary limitations should be implied.

We claim:

1. In an ice maker, the combination of: an outer casing having an ice outlet opening at one end thereof; an evaporator of a refrigeration system positioned within said casing in a manner to provide a freezing surface on the exterior thereof and a water chamber between said surface and said casing; an inlet for admitting water to said chamber; a rigid ice-crushing and propelling member disposed within said chamber and extending in a Substantially straight line substantially the length thereof, said member being so supported as to' secure the same against both lateral and vertical movement relative to said evaporator and having a working surface disposed on a line which is substantially tangent to the outer surface of the evaporator; means for rotating said member about said evaporator so as to cause it to compress the ice as it builds up on said evaporator freezing surface and cause the same to break away from such surface; and a stationary helix in said casing exteriorly of said ice-crushing and propelling member, the inner surface of said crushing and propelling member being disposed in close proximity to the outer surface of said evaporator and the outer surface of said member being disposed in close proximity to the inner surface of said helix whereby the loose ice thus broken away by said member will be caused by rotation of such member to move lengthwise of the casing around the convolutions of said helix and will be thus transported to said outlet opening.

2. In an ice maker, the combination of: a cylindrical outer casing having an ice outlet opening at one end thereof; an evaporator of a refrigeration system positioned within said casing in manner to provide an annular freezing surface on the exterior thereof and a water chamber between said surface and said casing; an inlet for admitting water to said chamber; a rigid ice-crushing and propelling member disposed within said chamber and extending in a substantially straight line substantially the length thereof, said member being so supported as to secure the same against both lateral and vertical movement relative to said evaporator and having a working surface disposed on a line which is substantially tangent to the outer surface of the evaporator; means for rotating said member about said evaporator so as to cause it to compress the ice as it builds up on said evaporator freezing surface and cause the same to break away from such surface, the leading edge of said member as it rotates around the annular surface of said evaporator being spaced farther from said surface than a following part of said member, whereby such member has a crushing instead of a scraping action on the ice formed on the evaporator; and a stationary helix in said casing exteriorly of said ice-crushing and propelling member, the inner surface of said crushing and propelling member being disposed in close proximity to the outer surface of said evaporator and the outer surface of said member being disposed in close proximity to the inner surface of said helix whereby the loose ice thus broken away by said member will be caused by rotation of such member to move lengthwise of the casing around the convolutions of said helix and will be thus transported to said outlet opening.

3. In an ice maker, the combination of: a cylindrical, vertically-disposed outer casing having a lateral ice outlet opening at one end thereof; an evaporator of a refrigeration system positioned within said casing in manner to provide an annular freezing surface on the ex terior thereof and a water chamber between said surface and said casing; an inlet for admitting water to said chamber; a rigid ice-crushing and propelling member disposed within said chamber and extending in a substantially straight line substantially the length thereof, said member being so supported as to secure the same against both lateral and vertical movement relative to said evaporator and having a working surface disposed on a line which is substantially tangent to the outer surface of the evaporator; means for rotating said member about said evaporator so as to cause it to compress the ice as it builds up on said evaporator freezing surface and cause the same to break away from such surface, the leading edge of said member as it rotates around the annular surface of said evaporator being spaced farther from said surface than a following part of said member, whereby such member has a crushing instead of a scraping action on the ice formed on the evaporator; and a stationary helix integrally formed in the wall of said casing, the inner surface of said crushing and propelling member being disposed in close proximity to the outer surface of said evaporator and the outer surface of said member being disposed in close proximity to the inner surface of said helix whereby the loose ice thus broken away by said ice-crushing member will be caused by rotation of said member to move upwardly around the convolutions of said helix and will be thus transported to said outlet opening.

4. In an ice maker, the combination of: a cylindrical outer casing having an ice outlet opening at one end thereof; an evaporator of a refrigeration system positioned within said casing so as to form an annular freezing surface on the exterior thereof and a water chamber between said surface and said casing; an inlet for admitting water to said chamber; a rigid ice-crushing and propelling member in the form of a vertically disposed straight bar within said chamber, extending substantially the length thereof; means for rotating said member about said evaporator so as to cause it to compress the ice as it builds up on said evaporator freezing surface and cause the same to break away from such surface, the leading edge of said member as it rotates around the annular surface of said evaporator being spaced farther from said surface than a following part of said member, whereby such member has a crushing instead of a scraping action on the ice formed on the evaporator; and a stationary helix integrally formed in the wall of said casing, the inner surface of said crushing and propelling member being disposed in close proximity to the outer surface of said evaporator and the outer surface of said member being disposed in close proximity to the inner surface of said helix whereby the loose ice thus broken away by said ice-crushing member will be caused by rotation of said member to move lengthwise of the casing around the convolutions of said helix and will be thus transported to said outlet opening.

5. In an ice maker, the combination of: a cylindrical outer casing having a lateral ice outlet opening at one end thereof; an evaporator of a refrigeration system positioned within said casing so as to form an annular freezing surface on the exterior thereof and a water chamber between said surface and said casing; an icecrushing and propelling unit disposed within said chamber and extending substantially the length thereof, said unit comprising a head of inverted cone formation disposed adjacent said outlet opening and a plurality of rigid ice-crushing compressor members carried by said head and disposed adjacent the annular surface of the evaporator; means for rotating said unit relative to said evaporator so as to cause said compressor members to compress the ice as it builds up on said evaporator freezing surface and thus cause the same to break away from such surface, the leading edge of each of said members as it rotates around the annular surface of said evaporator being spaced farther from said surface than a following part of said member, whereby such members have a crushing instead of a scraping action on the ice formed on the evaporator; and a stationary helix in said casing exteriorly of said compressor members, the inner surface of said crushing and propelling member being disposed in close proximity to the outer surface of said evaporator and the outer surface of said member being disposed in close proximity to the inner surface of said helix whereby the loose ice thus broken away by said members will be caused by rotation of said unit to move lengthwise of the casing around the convolutions of said helix and will be thus transported to said outlet opening.

6. In an ice maker, the combination of: a cylindrical outer casing having an ice outlet opening at one end; an evaporator of a refrigeration system positioned within said casing so as to form an annular water chamber between the evaporator and easing; a rigid ice-crushing and propelling member within said chamber extending in a substantially straight line substantially the length of and adapted to rotate about said evaporator so as to break ice chips away from the outer surface thereof by compression, the forward portion of said member being formed and disposed as a cam so as to direct loose ice chips outwardly toward said casing, said member being so supported as to secure the same against both lateral and vertical movement relative to said evaporator; a stationary helix extending substantially the length of said casing at the inner surface thereof, whereby ice chips removed by said ice-crushing member will be directed outwardly thereby toward said helix and carried by said member around the convolutions thereof so as to be transported to said outlet opening; and means for rotating said compression member within said chamber.

7. In an apparatus for making ice chips, in combination: an outer casing; an evaporator of a refrigeration system positioned within said casing so as to form an annular chamber between said evaporator and casing; a substantially straight, longitudinal, rigid ice compression member adapted to rotate within said chamber about said evaporator and having a cross sectional dimension only slightly less than the distance between said evaporator and the casing, said member having a non-cutting working surface extending substantially the length of said evaporator and spaced slightly therefrom whereby upon rotation said member will compress and break off ice formed on the surface of said evaporator, said member being so supported as to secure the same against both lateral and vertical movement relative to said evaporator; and means for rotating said compression member within said chamber.

8. In an apparatus for making ice chips, in combination: an outer casing; an evaporator of a refrigeration system positioned Within said casing so as to form an annular chamber between said evaporator and casing; a substantially straight, longitudinal, rigid ice compression member adapted to rotate within said chamber about said evaporator and having a cross sectional dimension only slightly less than the distance between said evaporator and the casing, said member having a substantially flat compression surface extending substantially the length of said evaporator and spaced slightly therefrom, said surface being arranged with respect to said evaporator in such a manner that its forward and rear edges are spaced further from the evaporator than other portions of said flat surface, whereby said forward edge will not have a scraping action but said flat surface will compress and break off ice formed on said evaporator; and means for rotating said compression member within said chamber.

9. In an apparatus for making ice chips, in combination: an outer casing; an evaporator of a refrigeration system positioned within said casing so as to form an annular chamber between such evaporator and the easing; a substantially straight, longitudinal, rigid ice compression member adapted to rotate within said chamber about said evaporator and having a cross sectional dimension only slightly less than the distance between said evaporator and the casing, said member having a substantially fiat compression surface extending substantially the length of said evaporator and spaced slightly therefrom, said surface being tangent to said evaporator with a portion of said surface extending forwardly of the line of tangency whereby, upon rotation, said member will compress and break off ice formed on the surface of said evaporator instead of scraping the same from said surface, said member being so supported as to secure the same against both lateral and vertical movement relative to said evaporator; and means for rotating said compression member within said chamber.

10. In an apparatus for making ice chips, in combination: an outer casing; an evaporator of a refrigeration system positioned within said casing so as to form an annular chamber between such evaporator and the casing; a substantially straight, longitudinal, rigid ice compression member adapted to rotate Within said chamber about said evaporator, said member having a substantially flat compression surface extending substantially the length of said evaporator and spaced slightly therefrom, said surface being tangent to said evaporator with a portion of said surface extending forwardly of the line of tangency whereby, upon rotation, said member will compress and break off ice formed on the surface of said evaporator instead of scraping the same from said surface, said member being so supported as to secure the same against both lateral and vertical movement relative to said evaporator; said casing being formed to provide inwardly extending spiral ribs forming a helix, the inner surface of said crushing and propelling member being disposed in close proximity to the outer surface of said evaporator and the outer surface of said member being disposed in close proximity to the inner surface of said helix whereby upon rotation of said compression member the ice will be moved to a point of discharge from the casing; and means for rotating said compression member within said chamber.

11. In an ice maker, the combination of: an outer casing having an ice outlet opening therein; an evaporator of a refrigeration system positioned within said casing in a manner to provide a freezing surface on the exterior thereof and a water chamber between said surface and said casing, said evaporator being of cylindrical form; an inlet for admitting water to said chamber; a rotatably mounted ice crushing structure disposed within said chamber, including a rigid blade secured against lateral movement and having a widened forward portion, the inner surface of which is disposed in close proximity and extends on a line substantially tangent to the evaporator surface but with the forward edge of said widened portion of the blade somewhat farther away from said evaporator surface than a point in the surface of said portion to the rear of said leading edge, said blade having a set back rear portion of less width than said forward portion; means for rotating said ice crushing structure so as to cause said blade to compress the ice as it builds up on the evaporator and cause it to break away therefrom; and means whereby rotation of said ice crushing structure directs the crushed ice to said outlet opening.

12. In an ice maker, the combination of: an outer casing having an ice outlet opening therein; an evaporator of a refrigeration system positioned within said casing in a manner to provide a freezing surface on the exterior thereof and a water chamber between said surface and said casing, said evaporator being of cylindrical form; an inlet for admitting water to said chamber, a rotatably mounted ice crushing structure disposed within said chamber, including a rigid rectangular bar secured against lateral movement and extending substantially the length of said chamber; the inner surface of said bar extending on a line substantially tangential to the surface of the evaporator and the central portion of said inner surface of the bar being disposed in close proximity to said surface of the evaporator; means for rotating said ice crushing structure to cause said bar to compress the ice as it builds up on the evaporator surface and cause it to break therefrom; and means whereby rotation of said ice crushing structure directs the crushed ice to said outlet opening.

13. In an ice maker, the combination of: an outer casing having an ice outlet opening therein; an evaporator of a refrigeration system positioned within said casing in a manner to provide a freezing surface on the exterior thereof and a water chamber between said surface and said casing, said evaporator being of cylindrical form; an inlet for admitting water to said chamber; a rotatably mounted ice crushing structure disposed within said chamber, including a rigid blade secured against lateral movement :and extending substantially the length of said chamber, said blade having an inner surface extending on a line substantially tangential to the surface of the evaporator and having a point to the rear of the forward edge of the blade which is disposed in close proximity to said evaporator surface and nearer thereto than said forward edge of the blade; means for rotating said ice crushing structure to cause said blade, acting at said point of closest proximity to the evaporator surface, to compress the ice as it builds up on said evaporator surface and cause it to break away therefrom; and means whereby rotation of said ice crushing structure directs the crushed ice to said outlet opening.

14. In an ice maker, the combination of: an outer casing having an ice outlet opening therein; an evaporator of a refrigeration system positioned within said casing in a manner to provide a freezing surface on the exterior thereof and a water chamber between said surface and said casing, said evaporator being of cylindrical form; an inlet for admitting water to said chamber; a rotatably mounted ice crushing structure disposed within said chamber, including a rigid blade secured against lateral movement and extending substantially the length of said chamber, said blade having an inner surface extending on a line substantially tangent to the surface of the evaporator and having a point to the rear of the forward edge of the blade which is disposed in close proximity to said evaporator surface and nearer thereto than said forward edge of the blade; means for rotating said ice crushing structure to cause said blade, acting at said point of closest proximity to the evaporator surface, to compress the ice as it builds up on said evaporator surface and cause it to break away therefrom; and means whereby rotation of said ice crushing structure directs the crushed ice to said outlet opening; said last-mentioned means including a helical passageway formed in the outer casing and said blade having a front face extending across the major part of the width of said water chamber to direct the broken-away ice into said passageway.

15. In an ice maker, the combination of: an outer casing having an ice outlet opening therein; an evaporator of a refrigeration system positioned within said casing in a manner to provide a freezing surface on the exterior thereof and a water chamber between said surface and said casing, said evaporator being of cylindrical form, an inlet for admitting water to said chamber; a rotatably mounted ice crushing structure disposed within said chamber, including a rigid blade secured against lateral movement and extending substantially the length of said chamber, said blade having an inner surface extending on a line substantially tangential to the surface of the evaporator and having a point to the rear of the forward edge of the blade which is disposed in close proximity to said evaporator surface and nearer thereto than said forward edge of the blade; means for rotating said ice crushing structure to cause said blade, acting at said point of closer proximity to the evaporator surface, to compress the ice as it builds up on said evaporator surface, and cause it to break away therefrom; and means whereby rotation of said ice crushing structure directs the crushed ice to said outlet opening; said last-mentioned means including a helical passageway formed in the outer casing and said blade having a front face extending across the major part of the width of said water chamber to direct the broken away ice into said passageway, said front face of the blade being disposed at an angle to a line perpendicular to the inner surface of the blade at its point of closest proximity to the evaporator surface so that said front face acts as a cam in directing the ice into said passageway.

16. A machine for making ice in flake form, comprising an outer casing, a tubular inner casing within said outer casing, said casings defining a chamber therebetween, means for supplying liquid to said chamber to be frozen, means for chilling the inner casing sufiiciently to effect the freezing on its outer surface of a quantity of the liquid within said chamber, an ice-breaking structure within the chamber, said structure being revoluble about the inner casing for breaking frozen liquid into fragments from its outer surface, means for rotating said structure, said structure including an ice fracturing memher which moves in a circular path uniformly adjacent to the outer surface of the inner casing, said member having a working surface extending rearwardly and inwardly into near proximity to said inner casing for ice-fracturing engagement with the frozen liquid thereon.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,623,535 4/1927 Ferguson 62354 2,145,331 1/1939 Arensberg 62-343 2,299,414 10/1942 Spiegel 62-354 2,646,974 7/1950 Read 259-8 2,962,878 12/1960 Keller 62354 3,034,317 5/1962 Schneider 62-354 3,049,895 8/1962 Larson et al. 62-354 FOREIGN PATENTS 220,263 2/ 1959 Australia.

1,085,820 2/1955 France.

ROBERT A. OLEARY, Primary Examiner.

EDWARD J. MICHAEL, Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE /f/ CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patemt No. 3,217,512 November 16, 1965 Owen J. Schwertfeger et a1.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as correctedbelow.

Column 2, line 72, for "carriers" read carries colu n 3, line 8, before "entering" insert from column 8, line 55, for "chamber," read chamber; line 66, after "bre k" insert away Signed and sealed this 27th day of September 1966.

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST w, SWIDER EDWARD J. BRENNER Airtesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

16. A MACHINE FOR MAKING ICE IN FLAKE FORM, COMPRISING AN OUTER CASING, A TUBULAR INNER CASING WITHIN SAID OUTER CASING, SAID CASINGS DEFINING A CHAMBER THEREBETWEEN, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING LIQUID TO SAID CHAMBER TO BE FROZEN, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING LIQUID TO SAID CHAMBER TO BE TO EFFECT THE FREEZING ON ITS OUTER SURFACE OF A QUANTITY OF THE LIQUID WITHIN SAID CHAMBER, AN ICE-BREAKING STRUCTURE WITHIN THE CHAMBER, SAID STRUCTURE BEING REVOLUBLE ABOUT THE INNER CASING FOR BREAKING GROZEN LIQUID ONTO FRAGMENTS FROM ITS OUTER SURFACE, MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID STRUCTURE, SAID STRUCTURE INCLUDING AN ICE FRACTURING MEMBER WHICH MOVES IN A CIRCULAR PATH UNIFORMLY ADJACENT TO THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE INNER CASING, SAID MEMBER HAVING A WORKING SURFACE EXTENDING REARWARDLY AND INWARDLY INTO NEAR PROXIMITY TO SAID INNER CASING FOR ICE-FRACTURING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE FROZEN LIQUID THEREON. 